What is the Difference Between Indigestion and Acid Reflux

The key difference between indigestion and acid reflux is that indigestion is a condition that does not release any acid to the esophagus, while acid reflux is a condition that releases acids to the esophagus.

Abnormalities that relate to the human gastrointestinal tract often take place due to unhealthy food patterns that result in discomfort and loss of appetite. It mainly affects the quality of life and sometimes leads to many severe conditions if left untreated due to ignorance and negligence. Indigestion and acid reflux are two such scenarios that take place in the stomach due to different reasons. Both types are treatable.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Indigestion 
3. What is Acid Reflux
4. Similarities – Indigestion and Acid Reflux
5. Indigestion vs Acid Reflux in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Indigestion vs Acid Reflux

What is Indigestion?

Indigestion is a discomfort feeling in the upper abdomen. It causes abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness soon after a meal. In other words, it refers to dyspepsia or an upset stomach. Indigestion is also a major symptom of different digestive diseases. Indigestion causes different feelings of discomfort, including early fullness during a meal, uncomfortable fullness after a meal, burning sensation in the upper abdomen, discomfort and bloating in the upper abdomen, and nausea. In some instances, individuals that suffer from indigestion often feel heartburn, which is pain or a burning feeling in the center of your chest that spreads into the neck or back area during or after eating.

Mild indigestion can be treated with an antacid or through changes in the behavioral patterns related to meals. However, in severe indigestion, the individual should take immediate medical assistance if the discomfort in the upper abdomen is severe with parallel symptoms such as continuous vomiting, black tarry stools, and trouble in swallowing that gets progressively worse. Causes for indigestion include fatty, greasy, or spicy foods, excessive ingestion of caffeine, alcohol, chocolate, or carbonated beverages, smoking, anxiety, and certain pharmaceuticals such as antibiotics, pain relievers, and iron supplements. In addition, indigestion takes place due to peptic ulcers, celiac disease, constipation, and gallstones. Indigestion does not involve serious complications; however, it can affect the quality of life of an individual with discomfort and loss of appetite.

What is Acid Reflux?

Acid reflux is a phenomenon that takes place in the gastrointestinal tract where acid content of the stomach flows up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation such as heartburn. If a person is having frequent acid refluxes (more than twice a week), it means there is a higher chance for that individual to have GERD (Gastroesophageal reflux disease). Acid content enters the esophagus when the lower esophageal sphincter does not close completely or when it opens too often.

Common causes for acid reflux include having large meals, lying down right after a meal, taking snacks close to bedtime, ingestion of foods like citrus or spicy or fatty foods, drinking beverages such as alcohol, carbonated drinks, coffee, or tea, smoking and due to drugs, such as aspirin, ibuprofen, certain muscle relaxers, or blood pressure medications. Pregnancy also causes acid reflux. Sometimes stomach abnormalities such as hiatal hernia (when the stomach bulges up into your chest through an opening in your diaphragm) are also responsible for this condition. The two main symptoms of acid reflux are heartburn and regurgitation. The other general symptoms include bloating, burping, nausea, weight loss, loss of appetite, and dysphagia (sensation of food stuck in the throat). Treatment for acid reflux includes avoiding the uptake of certain food types and beverages that trigger symptoms, taking meals 2-3 hours before lying down, avoiding smoking, and the use of antacids.

What are the Similarities Between Indigestion and Acid Reflux?

• Indigestion and acid reflux take place in the human body.
• Both terms refer to abnormal conditions in the gastrointestinal system.
• Both indigestion and acid reflux cause abdomen discomfort.
• A common symptom of both types is nausea.
• Both types mainly occur due to unhealthy food patterns and behavior.

What is the Difference Between Indigestion and Acid Reflux?

Indigestion is a condition that is not related to the release of any acid to the esophagus, while acid reflux is a condition that releases acids to the esophagus. Thus, this is the key difference between indigestion and acid reflux. Causes for indigestion include fatty, greasy, or spicy foods, excessive ingestion of caffeine, alcohol, carbonated beverages, smoking, anxiety, and certain pharmaceuticals. Common causes of acid reflux include having large meals, lying down right after a meal, smoking, and taking certain pharmaceutical drugs.

The below infographic presents the differences between indigestion and acid reflux in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Indigestion vs Acid Reflux

Abnormalities that relate to the human gastrointestinal tract often take place due to unhealthy food patterns that result in discomfort and loss of appetite. Indigestion and acid reflux are two such scenarios that take place in the stomach due to different reasons. Indigestion is discomfort in the upper abdomen, such as abdominal pain and a feeling of fullness soon after a meal. Acid reflux is a phenomenon that takes place in the gastrointestinal tract where acid content of the stomach flows up into the esophagus, causing a burning sensation such as heartburn. So, this summarizes the difference between indigestion and acid reflux.

Reference:

1. “Indigestion.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research.
2. Stuart, Annie. “Acid Reflux Disease Symptoms, Causes, Tests, and Treatments.” WebMD.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Stomach Pain” (CC0) via Public Domain Pictures
2. “GERD” By BruceBlaus – Own work (CC BY-SA 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia